Camp

The Blast, trying to return to the Major Indoor Soccer League playoffs after missing out last season, opened training camp yesterday with 26 players on hand for the first workout. But, already the injury bug has struck. Adauto Neto, the league's Most Valuable Player in 2005-06, will undergo surgery today for a fractured right foot suffered during a drill. The injury was first believed to be only a sprain after Neto made a cut on the floor, but X-rays revealed a break that is expected to sideline him for eight weeks.

Jarret Johnson has pretty big feet, so he's not worried about filling the shoes of All-Pro linebacker Adalius Thomas as the only new defensive starter this season for the Ravens. If anything, Johnson has already had practice at succeeding an established star. Ravens training camp Through Aug. 18, McDaniel College, Westminster Today: 8:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.; 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. (afternoon session closed to public) Online: For camp updates, go to baltimoresun.com/ravenscentral

To engage or attack? This is the question gripping pundits on U.S.-Iranian relations as the United Nations deadline for Iran's compliance on its nuclear program has come and gone, and as U.S. officials plan to take part in talks on Iraq's future that may include Iranian representatives. The hawks dismiss the existence of a real internal Iranian resistance and lament that a war between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran has become inevitable. Like the hawks, the engagers reject the Iranian resistance as hopeless, but they propose that a policy of unconditional dialogue and sanctions relief will somehow empower Iranian society.

The 150 Boy Scouts gathered with their troops in front of the mess hall at the Broad Creek Scout Reservation in Whiteford. The youngsters listened to a brief speech, followed by the sounding of a kudu horn and a recitation of their Scout Oath. "A lot of these boys might not understand what we did out here today," said Reed Blom, who has been the director of the Scout reservation for the past 20 years. "But when they're older, they'll remember that they participated, and then they'll understand the significance of the event."

Six Long Reach High School students have qualified to compete in the finals of the Team America Rocketry Challenge, a national model rocket contest. Team members are senior Stephanie Spring, team leader; seniors Lindsey Zettel and Matt Reitz; junior Matt McKenna; and freshmen Tommy Trinh and Jake Esposito. The national fly-off will be held Saturday at Great Meadow in The Plains, Va. The top 10 teams will share a prize pool of $60,000 in savings bonds and cash. The contest requires students to design, build and test a model rocket that can fly as close as possible to 45 seconds (total flight duration)

Members named to Election Board Maureen "Molly" Neal and Leonard Wheeler have been appointed to the Harford County Election Board, and Russell Stansbury is returning as an alternate member. Their four-year terms will begin tomorrow. Information: 410-937-9005. Play It Safe camp offered for children The Level Volunteer Fire Company will offer a free Play It Safe Safety Camp from July 11 to 13. The camp is for children entering kindergarten to those completing fifth grade this year. The camp will teach children how to prevent accidents, prepare for the unexpected and react in an emergency.

Football camp -- Howard County Football Technique Camp for children and youth in grades three to nine will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 9-13 at Hammond High School in Columbia. The camp, which is staffed by Howard County high school coaches, offers offensive and defensive position techniques, and instruction in the kicking game. Certified coaches will teach speed training. Each day's camp concludes with non-contact, competitive football games under coaches' supervision. Tuition is $160.

All-star camp -- The Columbia Ravens All-Star Football Camp for ages 8 to 14, directed by Bill McGregory, head football coach of DeMatha High School, will be held from Monday through June 29 at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia. Three sessions, including an indoor chalk-talk, will be held daily. The cost is $325, including equipment, a camp jersey and a practice bag. A specialty camp for quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers will be held from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.; the cost is $50. A $100 deposit is required for equipment, which will be handed out from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday behind Harper's Choice Middle School in Columbia.

The 150 Boy Scouts gathered with their troops in front of the mess hall at the Broad Creek Scout Reservation in Whiteford. The youngsters listened to a brief speech, followed by the sounding of a kudu horn and a recitation of their Scout Oath. "A lot of these boys might not understand what we did out here today," said Reed Blom, who has been the director of the Scout reservation for the past 20 years. "But when they're older, they'll remember that they participated, and then they'll understand the significance of the event."

A woman stands holding up two loaves of Turkish bread. A little girl in a hot pink headscarf and yellow jeweled top smiles broadly. And a wall hanging of Mecca and Medina flashes on the screen as 14-year-old Myra Illysova explains, "It's a symbol of Muslims. Every Muslim house has one." The pictures provide glimpses of the lives of these Meskhetian Turk refugees from Russia, now high school students who belong to Baltimore City Community College's Refugee Youth Project. For the past four days, the 20 students have documented their lives and resettlement as part of a photo camp run by National Geographic, one of 10 camps across the world this year that focused on young refugee populations.

On October 2, 2009, MARGARET A. HOLCOMB (nee Burg), dearest wife of the late William M. Holcomb, beloved sister of Jane Burg and the late Leona "Sis" Burg, James "Buddy" Burg, Thomas "Pat" Druery, and Patricia "Patsy" Lenivy, loving sister in law of Pete Lenivy, loving aunt of Diane Vanderburg and Marian Camp, dear great aunt of Louis and Jay Camp and Gary Vanderburg, loving great great aunt of Deziree, Louis C., Jr., James and Roselyn Camp. Also survived by other loving relatives and friends.

Detectives in Baltimore County are probing the background of a slain Owings Mills man to see whether anything in his past might be related to his killing, a police spokesman said. Scott M. Greenberg, who ran a snowball stand on Reisterstown Road called the Cold House and previously worked as a counselor and recruiter at his parents' summer camp, was convicted in 1991 of a fourth-degree sexual offense against a 9-year-old boy who was to attend the camp. Prosecutors said Greenberg had molested the boy after offering to calm the child's fears about going to camp for the first time.

An Owings Mills man who spent years helping his parents run a summer camp in West Virginia was found shot to death over the weekend, Baltimore County police said Monday. Scott Michael Greenberg, 51, was discovered Saturday evening by his former wife in the home of his parents, Fred and Evelyn Greenberg, in the 2300 block of Velvet Valley Way, where he had been living, according to police spokesman William Toohey. Lisa Greenberg told police she had gone to the house to drop off the couple's two children, Brady, 8, and Hannah, 10. When they arrived, the door was locked and there was no sign of Greenberg.

The two teens had led the second-graders in the singing game quackadillo omar, organized a round of the dodgeball variant chamamot, and demonstrated what one of them called the Israeli way of jumping rope. Now the children at the Jewish day camp sat on the grass around Tal Bouhnik and Liron Menashe and asked questions. "Are there any Christian people in Israel?" Stefan wanted to know. "There are, but not many," Bouhnik said. "Like, 10?" Stefan asked. Exchanges such as this one last week at Camp Milldale in Reisterstown are the reason Bouhnik and Menashe were brought to Baltimore.

A group of recent Howard County graduates have combined their love of athletics and working with students with special needs for a three-week camp this summer at Glenelg High School. Camp Inclusion is the brainchild of A.J. Rosenthal and Evan Sanna, both 2009 graduates of Glenelg High, who were inspired to offer a camp after extensive work with special-needs students during the school year. The program, available to special-needs students enrolled in high school, is being offered at Glenelg in three one-week camps.

Dr. Oscar B. Camp, a former Baltimore surgeon who was the founder and CEO of United Optical Inc., which later became United HealthCare Inc., died July 4 at his Severna Park home from a fall. He was 88. Oscar Wilde Camponeschi, the son of a restaurant maitre d'hotel and a mother who was an official of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, was born in New York City, and raised in Flushing, N.Y. Dr. Camp, who changed his name to Oscar Bambace Camp, was a graduate of Newtown High School in Queens, N.Y. He began his college studies at Long Island University and later transferred to the University of Maryland, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1941.

German-style music The Old Stein Inn offers musical entertainment from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays at the Biergarten/Bierstube Restaurant, 1143 Central Ave. East in Edgewater. Performers include Sylvia and Peter on Saturday, Heidi and the Heimat Echo on July 18 and the Magic Mountain Trio on July 25. Information: 410-798-6807. Rowing classes The Annapolis Rowing Club is offering Learn to Row classes in sweep rowing in eight-person shells with coxswains. Experienced club members teach rowing fundamentals and safety procedures.

Evening hike Participants can enjoy an evening hike over semi-rough terrain from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. today in the McKeldin Area of Patapsco Valley State Park, 11676 Marriottsville Road. Wear hiking shoes and bring water. For ages 11 and older. Cost is $2 per person. Call 410-750-0674 or 410-461-5005. Summer hours The Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin St. in Annapolis, is operating on its summer schedule. Hours remain in effect through Sept. 6: Sundays: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays: closed.

Towson anti-crime rally scheduled for Friday 2 The Baltimore County Police Department and the Towson Citizens on Patrol will host a Rally Against Crime at 6 p.m. Friday on Allegheny Avenue between the traffic circle and Washington Avenue. The event will begin with a ceremony to recognize the people and organizations who have worked to keep the area safe. Event-goers will have the opportunity to board a firetruck, sit in a race car and a police car, and watch a demonstration by the department's police dog unit.

ALAMEDA, Calif. - -Rookie wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey dropped catchable passes on three straight plays during a minicamp practice May 9. He still is waiting for a chance to make amends and silence any doubters as to his worthiness of being the No. 7 pick in the NFL draft. Heyward-Bey, a former Maryland standout, injured his right hamstring that same day and hasn't been allowed to practice. On Wednesday, Heyward-Bey watched as his teammates continued their preparation for the upcoming season.